Wen Tzu - Verse 155, Part VI

from Verse One Hundred Fifty-Five

Superior people look into realities and do not believe words of slander. When rulers have erred, ministers who do not admonish them are not loyal, while rulers who do not listen when admonished are not enlightened. Leaders who do not worry when the people are depressed are not intelligent.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

For me, the above passage points at two scourges of humanity which often go hand in hand: superficiality and cowardice.

When we choose solely to look at the surface of a given situation, we rarely do it justice. Sometimes, out of laziness, we skim the very top to make decisions and pronouncements based on the barest of information. In most cases, the most salient information is below the surface and, when we refuse to lift the covers, we allow a lot of hate, greed, contrivance and oppression to occupy the driver's seat.

While laziness certainly explains part of our reticence in looking deeply at life, cowardice also plays a big role. It's far easier to be superficial because it's safer! Those who question things are apt to be marginalized, ostracized, jailed or threatened with all sorts of sanctions.

Which kind of person are you? One who tries to curry favors by taking a superficial approach or one who tries, regardless of the costs, to get to the heart of the matter?

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.